Diablo 4 has gone gold, fully clearing the path for its imminent launch.
Blizzard announced the good news on Twitter, adding: "See you in sanctuary. 6.6.23." (If only it were coming out in 2066).
This means pre-launch development on Diablo 4 is done and that Blizzard has deemed the game ready to ship on June 6. Why does it matter? Well, in a time when game delays have become the norm instead of the exception, the "gold" status is essentially an assurance that a game most likely won't be pushed back any further, barring any extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances.
#DiabloIV has Gone Gold. Can you feel her presence now?See you in Sanctuary. 6.6.23 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OGX8oACUCrApril 17, 2023
"Going gold is a landmark milestone for the incredible Diablo IV team, who have all worked so hard crafting the next-generation installment of this iconic franchise. This is a concrete, meaningful step toward our June 6 launch" said franchise boss Rod Fergusson. "Whether players are veterans of the franchise or jumping in for the first time, we can't wait for everyone to experience the full game: taking part in the incredible storytelling, experimenting with character classes and builds, and exploring what the endgame and the dark world of Sanctuary has to offer."
Diablo 4 was already delayed once from 2022 to 2023, and in December a report from The Washington Post suggested the developers were struggling to meet the now all-but-solidified June release date. Nevertheless, two beta weekends later, it appears the devs managed to pull it off with less than two months to launch.
Just last week, Blizzard released a comprehensive list of changes coming to Diablo 4 based on feedback it had received after the two betas, and a lot of it's pretty substantial. All five of the game's classes have been reworked, dungeons received tweaks to be less tedious, some bosses have been updated, and there's a load of UI and quality of life changes in store.
Here are some games like Diablo to play while you wait for June 6.
